The Raising of the Virgin’s Flag

The Raising of the Virgin’s Flag marks the official beginning of the Fiestas Lustrales in Santa Cruz de La Palma. In the early hours of the Sunday preceding Semana Chica, a band of bugles and drums parades through the city, joyfully announcing the arrival of the long-awaited festive cycle. After a Eucharist at the Parroquia Matriz de El Salvador, a large white flag bearing the monogram of Mary is blessed and carried to the Castillo de la Virgen, where it is solemnly raised to the sound of the national anthem and ceremonial cannon fire.